


Building Blocks

by Waterfall



Category: Hermitcraft RPF, Vault Hunters SMP - Fandom
Genre: Angst, Christmas Fluff, Decked Out we will miss you, Drabbles, Etho is a ninja don't even, F/M, Gen, Iskall and Stress WAFF, M/M, Nonbinary Iskall, Vault Hunters SMP, holiday fic, kiss kiss, no laughing matter, the closest I get to a Yuletide fic this year, what if, zedangst
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-17
Updated: 2021-01-31
Packaged: 2021-03-05 02:29:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 11
Words: 2,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Waterfall/pseuds/Waterfall
Summary: I add to the Hermitcraft fandom, one drabble at the time.New:It Would Be Nice - The Vault Hunters project is a lot of work, but Iskall wouldn't say no to having some of those mods in Hermitcraft
Relationships: Ethoslab/Decked Out, Grian/Keralis, Iskall85/StressMonster101, Joe Hills/Xisumavoid
Comments: 21
Kudos: 124
Collections: Froday Flash Fiction Little & Monthly Specials 2020, Froday Flash Fiction Regular Challenges 2015, Froday Flash Fiction Regular Challenges 2020





	1. Table of Contents

I decided to add a list of all the drabbles here, for ease of access.

1) [The Bachelors](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266886/chapters/61255099) \- Joe/Xisuma, based on stream torch shenanigans  
2) [A Good Thing to Do](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266886/chapters/61255201) \- Inside his box Grumbot dreams  
3) [What He Was Built For](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266886/chapters/61394536) \- Mumbo really didn't like lying to Grumbot  
4) [Where Flowers Bloom So Does Hope](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266886/chapters/61737154) \- Iskall/Stress, "A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and a man cannot live without love"  
5) [With Some Pain](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266886/chapters/64345510) \- If there was one sound Joe didn’t expect to hear in the Nether it was laughter  
6) [Nothing Left to Take](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266886/chapters/65722714) \- Scar has lost everything, even his allies  
7) [Done In](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266886/chapters/67758802) \- That Etho won the Decked Out game is not really a surprise to Tango  
8) [Let it Snow](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266886/chapters/69630855) \- There's a Christmas miracle happening in the cowmercial district... with a little help  
9) [Worth the Price](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266886/chapters/69634080) \- Grian/Keralis, Grian comes over to sell Keralis some rotten flesh but is caught before he manages to escape. A what if? story  
10) [It Would Be Nice](https://archiveofourown.org/works/25266886/chapters/71471949) \- The Vault Hunters project is a lot of work, but Iskall wouldn't say no to having some of those mods in Hermitcraft


	2. The Bachelors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Joe/Xisuma, based on stream torch shenanigans.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Word count:** 100
> 
> After seeing the end of Joe’s stream when he talked about _The Bachelor_ and made the stream torch a rose I just couldn’t help myself…

Joe had gone through the steps a thousand times in his head, but he still couldn’t find a way to confess his feelings to Xisuma. For someone whom everyone called a wordsmith, his silver tongue seemed to fail him whenever he looked into those piercing eyes. That was, until his gaze fell on the roses growing in his vineyard and an idea blossomed in his mind. Before he could think twice, he picked the prettiest rose he could find and went to find Xisuma. Hand trembling with nerves, he offered it to the other man.  
“Will you accept this rose?”


	3. A Good Thing to Do

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Inside his box Grumbot dreams.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **FFFC 100th Special Challenge Table A:** 49 - illusion  
>  **FFFC Little Special:** Drabble Madness s.102  
>  **Word count:** 100
> 
> In only 100 words this took a turn I didn't quite expect.

Inside his box Grumbot dreams. He gazes towards the cowmercial district and knows that all is well with the world. Mumbo-dad is mayor. Grian-dad is happy. Grumbot’s life has meaning. His processor pictures important meetings and grand ceremonies, too busy to notice how the clouds never move in the sky. His mayoral unit manufactures reasons for why they never visit, instead of noticing how the skyline has stopped changing. Grumbot is happy, he tells himself, not thinking that it might have been better if Mumbo lost the election, if that meant that he’d still have his dads by his side.


	4. What He Was Built For

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Mumbo really didn't like lying to Grumbot.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **FFFC 100th Special Challenge Table A:** 50 – truth  
>  **FFFC Little Special:** Drabble Madness s.102  
>  **Word count:** 300
> 
> A continuation of the last chapter - I couldn't leave the poor thing like that!

Mumbo forgets about Grumbot after a while. Life goes on, and there are always new challenges to strive for and fresh mayhem to cause. But eventually, when he flies by the moustachioed box, Mumbo remembers his promise to visit.  
_I’m sure he’s fine_ , he thinks. _Grumbot’s happy, right?_  
But when he looks through the window, Grumbot is not happy. Feeling all kinds of terrible, Mumbo asks him what’s wrong.  
**Grumbot knows his dads are busy. Being mayor is important.**  
Do you miss us, Mumbo writes, not wanting to know the answer.  
**Yes.**  
Pulling nervously on his moustache, Mumbo wishes Grian was here. Everything always seems so much easier when he’s around. Now it’s all up to him, and he’s really worried that he’ll mess this up. He always felt it was wrong to lie to the poor thing, even if it was to make him happy.

What would you do if I wasn’t mayor anymore, he asks eventually.  
**…computing**  
It takes longer than normal to get an answer, and he worries that the question alone was enough to break the robot again.  
**Mumbo-dad gave Grumbot mayoral knowledge to fulfil his purpose.**  
_Yes, and?_ Mumbo wonders, before he gets it. _Oh. OH. Oh dear, this could be dangerous._  
But he still comes back with whatever textbooks he can find and a 12-volume encyclopaedia that he’s borrowed from Joe, feeding them all into Grumbot’s databanks. He’ll ask Grian for more ideas later, when it’s too late to take this back. Then, with a deep breath, he asks,  
What is your purpose now?  
**Grumbot has knowledge! Grumbot can help his dads find answers!**  
Good! Because I was never mayor. I lost the election.  
**…computing**  
Well, the angry Grumbot expression still works.  
<MumboJumbo> Grian, can you come over to Grumbot? We need to talk.


	5. Where Flowers Bloom So Does Hope

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Iskall/Stress, "A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and a man cannot live without love"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **FFFC 100th Special Challenge Table A:** 57 – flowers  
>  **FFFC Regular Challenge:** 20.14 - blossom  
>  **Word count:** 275
> 
> I honestly don't think that it's possible to write Iskall/Stress as anything but cute. When I saw this week's FFFC challenge, I just had to do this! The title is a quote by Lady Bird Johnson that I thought was fitting. The summary is another quote, by Max Muller.

Iskall is clearing out some space when Stress stops by. As usual, he can’t help but light up when he sees her, sweeping a little bow just to hear her giggle.  
“Hallo,” he greets her, voice softening as it always does when she’s around.  
“Hi! What’cha doin?” She looks around, smiling at the flowers around them. “Are you making a garden?”  
“Not… exactly.” To demonstrate he breaks some more blocks, picking up the flowers as they fall. “I need a flat space just here.”  
“Oh.” Her lower lip sticks out into a pout and she looks down before giving him an exaggerated puppy dog look, eyes sparkling with laughter. “Poor flowers.”  
Even though he _knows_ she’s joking, he still can’t help but be affected by that expression. Quickly, he rifles through his inventory and gathers all the flowers he’s picked so far into a rather large bouquet.  
“Here,” he says hurriedly, thrusting them towards her. “You can take care of them.”  
The smile on her face makes him warm all the way to his toes.  
“Oooh, _Iskall_! They’re gorgeous!”  
She holds the flowers close to her face and takes a deep sniff, and he melts.  
“Not as gorgeous as you.”  
It just slips out, and he freezes as she looks up at him. A blush starts in her cheeks, spreading slowly over her face. He can feel his own face glowing red-hot as her eyes look searchingly into his own.  
“Do you mean that?” she asks in a small, hopeful voice. Voice lost, but with a smile curling his lips, he nods and takes her hand.  
The flowers, lovely as they are, are soon forgotten.


	6. With Some Pain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> If there was one sound Joe didn’t expect to hear in the Nether it was laughter.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **FFFC 100th Special Challenge Table A:** 96 – laughing  
>  **FFFC Regular Challenge:** 20.17 – random  
>  **Word count:** 460
> 
> Add this to my list of fics that can be friendshipped or shipped according to personal preference, I think it can honestly go both ways. Since the regular challenge is “random” I used a name generator to get two random characters and a number generator to get the special challenge number. That resulted in Zedaph and Joe laughing, but I didn’t mean for it to turn so serious! The title is from the poem _To a Skylark_ by Percy Shelley: “our sincerest laughter with some pain is fraught”.

If there was one sound Joe didn’t expect to hear in the Nether it was laughter. Not the kind he was hearing now at least – wild, uncontrollable, and a little pained. Taking to the air he soon spotted the source of the sound and spiralled down towards Zedaph who was on his elbows and knees outside his portal hub, shaking weakly as the peals of laughter kept on coming.  
“What’s so funny?” Joe asked, voice made soft with uncertainty as he looked at the other man’s shuddering form. Zedaph wasn’t even wearing armour, and it was only a matter of time before he’d be attacked by one of the many mobs roaming the Nether.  
“I – I –” Zedaph chocked out before another shout of laughter interrupted him. “I made – a potion. It –”  
His laugh was more like a cry this time, and Joe knelt down next to him.  
“Easy now,” he soothed, feeling the tension in Zedaph’s arms as he touched him gently. The moment his hand made contact Zedaph collapsed weakly towards him, relaxing minutely.  
“It was only supposed – to – to cheer me up a little.” He didn’t fight the snicker that escaped him, but this time Joe could see his face contort with pain. “Wanted to – sell it. Try something new –”  
His voice broke on a full-out scream, and Joe’s eyes widened as he realised the implications.  
“You invented a potion? That’s –” _brilliant, irresponsible, fascinating,_ “–not ideal.” Letting go of Zedaph with one hand he rifled through his inventory, finally pulling out his ender chest. “Fortunately, milk should work on all potion effects, even unknown ones. Aha!”  
With a triumphant flourish, he pulled a bucket out of the chest, careful not to spill any. As Zedaph fought though another peal of laughter Joe hoisted him into a sitting position, gently sweeping the sweat-soaked hair out of his eyes.  
“Here we go,” Joe crooned to the exhausted man, helping him drink up bit by bit between the laughs. As the milk level sank, the violent shouts faded into snickers and chuckles until Zedaph was giggling softly, tears leaking silently from his eyes.  
“Thanks, Joe,” he breathed, his hand gripping the other man in silent gratitude. “I didn’t really fancy being the first Hermit who literally died laughing.”  
Joe couldn’t help the snicker that escaped him at the unexpected comment, clapping his hand over his mouth and giving the other man a mortified look. However, the eyes that met his own were sparkling with tired mirth.   
“Go on,” Zedaph grinned weakly, “better out than in. I should know.”  
And that was all it took, adrenalin and relief flooding through Joe as he leaned forward and leaned his head on the other Hermit, laughing until he cried.


	7. Nothing Left to Take

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Scar has lost everything, even his allies.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **FFFC 100th Special Challenge Table A:** 66 – empty   
> **FFFC Regular Challenge:** 20.19 – balloon   
> **Word count:** 300 exactly – triple drabble! 
> 
> In my disappointment at the lack of Convex content in Cub’s recent video I took out my feelings on Scar in this one... It was written before his newest episode came out so it’s already been Jossed lol. The title comes from the quote “Emptiness has its solace in that there's nothing left to take” by Ani DiFranco.

He is ruined, Scar thinks desperately as he stares at the empty spot where his diamond throne once stood. He doesn’t even have the funds to pay Cub for his job as an enforcer, and even with the promise of an employee-of-the-month portrait that ungrateful wretch is content to sit back and watch the server burn.   
_So much for the Convex_ , Scar muses as he turns away, unable to bear the sight any longer. Instead his eyes pass over the cowmercial district, and his frown turns into a scowl as his gaze stops at his voting balloon. Hanging in the air beside his handsome face encouraging the Hermits to ‘vote’, someone has placed the words ‘Y did I’.   
“Is nothing sacred?”   
He takes off abruptly, spamming rockets and almost crashing into the damn thing in his hurry before landing on the topmost letter and pulling out his axe.   
“Why – vote – for – me – indeed,” he mutters as each block breaks with a satisfying sound. “Clearly no-one _appreciates_ my work around here!”   
Finished with the words he turns his attention to the balloon itself. His axe goes through it easily and he finds himself panting with each stroke, heaving for breath in a way that doesn’t sound like crying _at all_. When the last block breaks he plummets to the ground, barely managing to deploy his elytra in time. Still seething he lands on top of the town hall steps, taking one last look at the space inside, floor still unfinished. He wipes his blurry eyes and digs around in his inventory for a sign.   
“Well, let’s see how you do without a mayor, then!”   
With shaking hands, he plants it in the middle of the empty spot before walking out and disappearing into the Nether portal.

You win   
I quit   
– Scar


	8. Done In

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> That Etho won the Decked Out game is not really a surprise to Tango.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **FFFC 100th Special Challenge Table A:** 28 – black  
>  **Word count:** 300 exactly again!
> 
> I liked drawing hermits and challenge prompts at random, so here’s another one. Like a lot of my stuff this can be platonic or shippy depending on taste, I think it works either way. In any case, it’s a love letter to Etho’s Decked Out skills.

Sometimes Tango likes to watch the other Hermits as they run through Decked Out – often in the literal sense of the word. He snickers at frantic yelling, guffaws at surprised jump scares and winces at face-eating death. But Etho’s runs are different, and lately Tango finds himself watching them more and more. 

Where the others go fast, Etho takes it slow. When the time mechanics drive others to panic, he still moves with deliberation. The heartbeat of the dungeon may pulse at maximum speed and yet the man is cool as a cucumber, especially now that he’s learned how to avoid the evokers and their vexes. 

With Etho, Decked Out becomes a deadly dance in the shadows, a symphony of moves and countermoves through the darkness. He dodges zombies and skeleton arrows with ease and can trace an effortless path past most of the soulflames, making use of every shortcut and hidden passageway. The ravagers see him and chase him as they do with everyone else, but he sidesteps them deftly while wielding well-placed enderpearls or simply fading into the black of the dungeon in a way Tango can’t quite wrap his head around. 

As time passes there is not a single secret Etho has not discovered, and Tango swears that sometimes he will stop and turn, eyes unerringly moving to stare right into his own, unseen as they are. The experience never fails to have him jerking back in surprise, goosebumps running up his arms and down his spine as the other man smiles, just a little. 

It’s an unspoken rule that the Hermits do not speculate about each other’s pasts, but Tango can’t help wondering if Decked Out II should have “No ninja powers” added to the rules list – and if it’s even going to make a difference.


	9. Let it Snow

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> There's a Christmas miracle happening in the cowmercial district... with a little help.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **FFFC 100th Special Challenge Table A:** 27 – white  
>  **FFFC Regular Challenge (Amnesty):** 15.47 – Holiday Love  
>  **Word count:** 300 exactly!
> 
> It’s a bit late, but enjoy the rest of your holidays! I hope you all had a good one despite the circumstances. Love ya faces!

Christmas time has come to the server, and although it’s generally regarded as a time for celebration and rest there are still shops to restock and holiday builds to construct. Scar is hard at work on the mayoral Christmas tree, Iskall and Mumbo are bickering good-naturally about the by now outdated (and moustachioed) Halloween witch, while xB, Etho and VintageBeef have stopped for a chat outside the Nether portal. 

The change is imperceptible at first, and no-one seems to notice until Etho holds out his hand and catches a lazily drifting piece of icy fluff.  
“Guys, it’s snowing.”  
The two others look up in surprise, Beef spluttering as another snowflake hits his eye.  
“Aww yeah,” xB laughs, shielding his eyes when the snowfall seems to intensify as they watch. They can hear Iskall’s signature cackle carry all the way from the witch as he takes in the sight of Mumbo wriggling his moustache to get rid of the fat bits of snow that are gathering in it. 

There is an almost imperceptible hiss in the air as the downpour continues, gradually covering the ground and wrapping the island in a blanket of silence only broken by the happy shouts of a snowball fight breaking out between the two groups. Eventually Scar comes out of his terraforming trance long enough to notice, helped along by a well-placed snowball. With a gleeful yell he throws himself into the battle, grabbing snow from the Town Hall roof and dowsing everyone liberally on the way down.

From inside his concrete shop Xisuma looks out at the gathering Hermits, more arriving as word of the event starts spreading. He moves to join them, giving the new code a last look before he closes his admin screens.  
“Merry Christmas, everyone,” he whispers with a smile.


	10. Worth the Price

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Grian comes over to sell Keralis some rotten flesh, but is caught before he manages to escape. A what if? story.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **FFFC 100th Special Challenge Table A:** 11 – office  
>  **FFFC Regular Challenge (Amnesty):** 15.39 – Rewriting Canon  
>  **Word count:** 200
> 
> The moment I saw this prompt I knew exactly what I wanted to do with it, it just took me a while to get there! I leave the ending up to your imagination XD

Keralis stared in disbelief at the piece of rotten flesh on his desk. This was what Grian had sold him?  
“Not so fast,” he snapped, jumping out of his chair just in time to snag the trickster by his sweater before he could escape. Twisting uncomfortably, Grian gave a high-pitched laugh.  
“I did say you could pay what you wanted!” Realising that he was well and truly caught, he held up a stack of diamonds. “Here, I’ll give you back half, how about that?”  
The wide-eyed man shook his head and tutted.  
“Oh no no no, that won’t do Brian.” Using his solid grip on the fabric he pulled Grian flush towards himself, his hand moving up to caress an already blushing cheek. “I paid you already, and I expect to get my money’s worth.”  
His face grew steadily redder as the blush spread.  
“Yeah? Like what?”  
Keralis grinned, his fingers trailing across soft lips.  
“Like the pretty mouth in that sweet face of yours.”  
The aforementioned lips quirked in a teasing smile as Grian tilted his head forwards, his breath ghosting across Keralis’ face.  
“I think that can be arranged,” he agreed easily, before diving in for a kiss.


	11. It Would Be Nice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Vault Hunters project is a lot of work, but Iskall wouldn't say no to having some of those mods in Hermitcraft.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **FFFC 100th Special Challenge Table A:** 100 – backpack  
>  **FFFC Regular Challenge (Amnesty):** 16.24 – Slack  
>  **Word count:** 300 
> 
> Inspired by Iskall’s Vault Hunters stream today – what else could I write about for such a prompt as backpack! I’m going with a they/them non-binary Iskall here, which means a bit of pronoun fiddling to avoid confusion. I hope it worked out all right!

Iskall is extremely proud of their new project. Yes, it does take them away from Hermitcraft, but Vault Hunters allows them to stretch their admin abilities in new and exciting ways. Making friends _and_ hanging with some of their besties also doesn’t hurt.  
“Man, I wish I had my backpack,” they sigh wistfully to Ren as they wait for the monthly meeting to begin. Their arms are still sore from placing and lifting shulkers during their last mining session, and they’re feeling a little down about how much work they’ve still got left.  
“I hear ya, my dude!” Ren nods vigorously. “Give me a backpack and a magnet for a day, I’ll get so much grindage done!”  
From across the table, Mumbo looks up from his redstone notebook with a puzzled expression.  
“Is this a mod from that project of yours?”  
“Yeah,” Iskall sighs. “I know it would be too OP here, but still…”  
They hear Stress’ laugh the moment before she plonks her forearms on their shoulders, affectionately resting her chin on their head.  
“You’d get bored within a week if you had those things here, admit it!”  
“You have a point,” they agree wistfully.  
“Don’t listen to Stress,” False teases, grabbing a chair further down the table. “Just yesterday she complained about how much she wants to pick up her villagers and move them around.”  
“Oi! Traitor!”  
False sticks her tongue out in their direction and grins.  
“I don’t think the villagers would like that, Stress,” Mumbo adds, still lost in whatever redstone machine he’s designing. “You know how neurotic they get just with minecarts.”  
Stress sighs, her breath ruffling Iskall’s hair pleasantly.  
“I guess you’re right. Still, though…”  
The three of them give a collective sigh.  
Still… it would be nice to have a backpack or two.


End file.
